The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-08-19

Their Effect when Properly Polished
and Finished,

for tho interior finish of expensive houses =.
Here is the plan of house which we are
now building in San Maseo. and, as you
see, all the ceilings are in panels, and there
on the side of the rooms are wainscotings
of oak. OF course, this is a very expensive
house, as the oak is of the best and comes
from the east.
Glow long has this fashion been in
vogue?" asked the reporter.
"Well, natural wood interiors have been
used to some extent in the houses of
wealthy people for the past eight years,
but recently they have conn greatly into
demand. In fact, the architectural tastes
of Californians in general, and of San
Francisans in particular, think, are vastly
improving. The woods for interiors. of
course, to be used adyantageously must be
hard woods. California laurel, white
cedar, redwood, eastern maple and oak and
Mexican mahogany are generally used
and you have no idea what a pretty effect
they make when properly polished and
finished. AS you know, nearly all these
woods have naturally pretty figures and
lines in them, and their surface looks much
handsomer than paper or painted boards"
Talking about natural figures inter
rupted a dealer in fancy woods, who was
listening to the conversation, II have seen
some very pretty and unique ones on the
natural wood, and in my museum have a
number Of interesting specimens. | find
that the prettiest figures are generally on
the wood of trees which grow in a marsl,y
or well irrigated place"
GLOW do you account for that p asked
the reporter.
"Well," replied the wood dealer, q
think that the bark outgrows the twig, and
will therefore wrinkle. When the twig
grows the wood will, of course, fill up all
the wrinkles and cavities in the bark, and
its surface will therefore be marked and
riffled. This is What makes the figures on
the wood. Sometimes, also, the bark runs
fact not generally known, but to it | attri-
butte the existence of so many hollow trees
in the forest of California, for the bark
will be ignited from any prairie fire and
burn through the core of the trunk, leaving
the tree hollow"
"What do you consider the handsomest
woods of the coast for house decoration p
"Well scarcely care to commit
myself on that point" was the reply.
''The fact is that the beauties of California
and Oregon hard-woods are but little
known, and it is only a few who have
studied the subject who are aware Of the
undeveloped industry existing in the igur-
ed woods of this coast. At the last meehan-
les fair there was an excellent exhibition
of California fancy woods, which surpris-
ed everybody. 1t was not supposed that
our forests were so rich in snch desirable
growths. As for the Oregon woods, |
think the aso is very pretty. 1t is figured
with concentrie curves and admits OFFS very
high polish. The Oregon maple is the
most beautiful wood | have ever seen, |
think. Its color is a light yellow, and It's
surface is covered by small, wavy lines,
which look like snowflakes. 1t reminds
one much of a sheet of Furnished gold,
and when the gas light plays upon its burn
ished surface the effect is grand. Like
most of our woods, however, it is bni
little known. The Oregon maple is also
a pretty wood. Its surface is covered with
small parallel lines, close together"
"But tell me something about our own
woods" imterposed the reporter.
"Well, take the laurel" was the reply.
California laurel is figured beautifully,
but, unfortunately for it, it has been cou
founded with p~epperwood and myrtle
which are softer woods and rot quicker.
Our sycamore, which has only recently
become known as a fancy wood, is also
very prettily figured. Its grain is like
that of the beech, and has something like
waving vertical lines close together. Why,
before its qualities as a fancy wood were
known. it was used for the manufacture
of tobacco boxes. In New York it is call
ed buttonwood. Sycamore is very strong
and can be used advantageously for veneer
ing. Redwood is also a handsome wood
for interiors. 1t admits Of a very high
polish, and for a cheap wood is probably
one of the best in the market. The best
figures on redwood are generally found
in the burls, or large knots. But few
figures are found in the body of a redwood.
Laurel is also a good hard wood. A
curious fact about laurel is that the tree
looks as if a great tree had grown and then
melted dow and another tree had grown
from the residue of the first. This curious
growth makes a large ground burl, from
the center of which the tree grows. A
splendid specimen of such a formation may
be seen in Laurel grove, near San Rafael.
The burl of that tree is fully fifteen feet in
diameter, and the tree grows from the
center of it,"
ssWhat are our leading fancy woods? ?"
swell, Ishould say walnut, sycamore,
laurel and redwood are in the lead. They
are very prettiIy figured. A good piece Of
figured wood is always in demand, for, as
onr friend says, the use Of such woods for
interior decoration is becoming very gencr-
al. Redwood, I should say, seems at
present to be the favorite. The Santa
Cruz redw BOD is generally p~rettily figured
1879 - - - That n